Terminal assembly



Sept. 29, 1936.

H. CATRCN ET AL TERMINAL ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. l, 1954 Patented Sept. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,056,036V TERMINAL ASSEMBLY Vrim-01a canon, Ralph L. manner, and Marion w. Morris, Logansport, Ind., assignors to E-B-M Manufacturing Company, Logansport, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana appliauonvnovember 1,1934, sum No. 750,976

.5 claims. (ci. 17a-259) This invention relates to terminal assemblies,

hand more particularly is directed to terminal asbetween the lug and the lower surface of theA consideration.

semblies for receiving relatively small-sized conductors for lighting circuits, ignition circuits, switches, plugl connectors and the like, in which rapidity and facility in the making of a positive mechanical and electrical connection is of prime It has been customary, in terminals of the type now in use, to employ binding posts having nuts threaded thereon for securing a conductor in positive mechanical andv electrical connection;

with the terminal, or to provide terminals having lug portions receiving a threaded screw, the end of the conductor being frictionally engaged screw head, or wrapped around the shank of the terminal post or screw and clamped in position by tightening of the terminal nut or s crew. Such terminals are open to numerous objections, since vibration 'may jar the terminal nut or screw loose, producing a faulty connection\ or tension upon the conductor may overcome the frictional resistance between the end of the conductor and 25- the terminal, pulling the conductor away from the terminal.

In addition to these disadvantages, the time consumed in tightening the terminal connection is considerable, and ordinarily requires the use of va'. tool, such as a screw driver or pliers.. Fur' ther, the nut or screw may become loosened and drop off of the terminal assembly, thereby requiring the replacement of such part, or if the part becomes lost, the connection cannot be reestablished until such part is replaced.

The present invention, in its preferred form, comprises a vterminal assembly having resilient gripping means engageable with a camming surface for readily receiving the end of a con-V ductor, which conductor is easily insertible into the terminal, and which cannot be withdrawn therefrom by tension or vibration upon the conductor.

Thefgripping means is urged into tighter gripping engagement with the conductorfwhen ten-A sion is placed upon the conductor in the Apresent invention, but may be readily released when it is desired to disconnect the conductor from the terminal.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a terminal assembly of this type which is capable of being mounted upon a terminal bar or insulating block, as desired.-

Another object of the present invention is the combination of a terminal, assembly capable of Y provide a terminal assembly wherein a resilient gripping engagement is provided, without interposing any spring member into the path of the electrical circuit.

Another advantage secured by the present in` 10 vention is'the provision of a terminal assembly wherein all the parts are formed from metal stampings or the like, and are capable of economical mass production and ready assembly'.

Other objects and advantages of the present 15 invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred form 20 of our invention,

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a. vertical sectional view through a preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, 25 showing the manner in which the conductor is released from the terminal;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modified form of the invention; and

Figures 4 and 5 are optional forms of the em- 3; bodiment of the invention'shown in Figure 3.

Referring now to Figures 1- and 2, in detail, we have provided a supporting member I0 which, in one form of the invention, may comprise a metallic terminal'J bar or strip, which is adapted to 35 have mounted thereon a metallic housing member I 2, which preferably is formed of brass or the like, and which is substantially in the form of a hollow eyelet and may be formed by any suitable type 'of eyelet stamping machine. 40

The member I2 is provided with a frusto-conical hollow section I3, the small end of this section being provided with an inwardly extending annular ange I 4 for a purpose to be hereinafter vternal lateral surfaces of the jaws I8 are formed 55 2 i to have engagement along the internal surface of the section I3,` whereby they are cammed toward each other as they are moved outwardly toward the small end of the section I3. A suitable helically coiled spring I8 is inserted Y within the member I2, and is biased at one end against thejaw members I8. At its other end,.

Y optional.

AIn order to support the terminal assembly upon the supporting fnember I0, we provide a rivet 22 having a headv portion 23 of an external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the cylindrical portion I5 of the member l2. The head portion of the rivet, indicated at 23, is moved y into abutting engagement with the outer surface of the plate member 20, and the peripheral edge of the cylindrical portion I5 of the member l2 is then spun over, as shown at Il, to engage over the under surface of the rivet head 23, whereby the rivet head is secured in fixed position withinV ,the member I2. The shoulder I5 forms an abutwhen the rivet 22 is inserted into position within the cylindrical portion I5 of the housing, and an external shoulder, indicated'at 2 I, may be gripped by any suitable means tp maintain the member I2 against movement while the ends l1 are spun over to grip the rivet.

The shank of the rivet extendsthrough asuitable opening formed inthe supporting member Y I0, and the opposite end of the rivet is turned over, as shown at 24, to clamp the terminal member I2 to the supporting base I0, as is well-known Vm the arr.

A conductor 25, preferably of the insulated type having insulation 25 thereabout, is adapted to be `mentl against which. pressure may be applied.

inserted through.V the cylindrical opening 2 formed in a releasing collar member 28, which releasing member has an outwardly extending peripheral edge 29 within the housing l2 adapt` Aed to have Aabutting engagement against the in, 50-wardly extending flange I4 of the member I2,'\

whereby the member 28 is limited in its movement axially with respect to the member I2. The conductor 25 extends downwardly between substantially arcuate openings ormed`in the inner meeting surfaces of the jaws I8, and when inibeen pushed into the position shown in Figure 1. Y

In Figure 2 weV have disclosed the manner in which the conductor may be disengaged from the terminal. The collar 28, which isslidable with respect to the terminal housing I2, has an outwardly extending flange portion 32 which may be readily gripped bythe fingers, and this member may be moved 'inwardly of the housing I2, whereupon the flanged end 29 of the member 28 bears against the upper surfaces of the jaws I8, moving the jaws inwardly against the pressure of the spring I9. This, in turn, causes the jaws to spread laterally away Vfrom each other, due to the increased internal area within the' lower end of the conical section I3. As a result, the jawsv move out of gripping "engagement with the conductor 25, and the conductor may thereupon be sembly, since the relative position of th'e jaws VI8 with respect to the surface I3 may be varied as desired, so that with a larger diameter of conductor thejaws will merely be positioned further Vinwardly of the member, and, as a result, will compress the spring to an extent whereby the =jaws are forced intotighter engagement with the conductor. By reason of the toothed internal surfaces forming the central substantially cylindrical opening receiving the conductor 25, a tight and eective gripping engagement upon the lateral stn'face of the wire is produced, and it has been found that the stress required to remove a wire from such a terminal assembly exceeds the tension stress that may be exerted upon the wire,

and the wire will either break or the' teeth 30 will shear away a portion of the metal forming the conductor, before the conductor can be withu drawn, unless the releasing collar 28 is employed.

In Figure 3 we have disclosed a construction Y similar to Figures l and 2, except that the securtially inserted into the terminal assembly, movesthe jaws I8 axially of the member I2 into a position such that they mayA expand with reference to the side walls of vthe conical portion I3 of the member I2, iwhereby the jaws move apart a distance suflicient to allow the conductor- 25 to be inserted downwardly through'the central opening formed therebetween.

However, the spring member I9 5 urges the jaw members axially outwardly of the member I2, thereby forcing them against the nternal surface of the conical portion I3, and thus moving them intov gripping engagement with the lateral surface of the conductor 25. The arcuate 0 cutaway portions of the jaw members are pro ing means in this particular embodiment of the invention is also employed for use as a switch terminal or contact surface. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, we provide an insulating supporting member 40, which member is adapted to receive a contact rivet 42, having an 'enlarged contact surface 43 which may be polished or provided with any suitable contacting surface. The shank portion of the rivet 42 extends inwardlv into the cylindrical portion I5 of the member I2, and is preferably formed with a cylindrical recess therein. The plate'20, correspending to the plate 2|) of the construction shown in Figure l, having been press-fitted into the cylindrical portion I5, the spring i9 and remaining internal portions of the assembly. within the housing I2 are held in fixed position. A suitable annular guiding collar 44', having a raised same as described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, and the shoulder 2I of the member may be employed as an abutment during the ldrivingr operation for securing the rivet in fixed position with respect to the housing I2.

In Figures 4 and 5, the same construction is disclosed, except that various shapes of contact surfaces, suchA as the concaved contact surface 50 of rivet 49 of Figure 4, formed as the head portion of the rivet, provides a smoother contacting surface for a rotatable switch terminal or similar contact engaging device. Preferably the rivet headds partially disposed in a recess 5I formed in member 40, with a spring 52 normally urging the head portion outwardly of the recess, whereby a resilient spring contact may be provided.

In Figure 5, we show a convexed contact surface 55 set into a recess portion 56 of the insulating member 40, the rivet head being entirely disposed below the planar surface'of the insulating member 4|). The rivet, in the embodimember I2 may be provided with a roughened ment shown in Figures 4 and 5, is secured Vto the housing I2 in the same manner as described in connection with Figure 3. vThe lower edge of the surface or small lug portions for engaging the surface of member 40 to prevent rotation of the assembly.

It is lthus apparent that we have provided VaV construction wherein a relatively small economica'l terminal assembly may be provided, which is capable of effecting and maintaining a 'positive mechanical and electrical connection with a conductor, whereby vibration or tension upon the conductor will not cause release of the conductor from the terminal post, andV wherein no auxiliary threaded means, such as a terminal nut or screw, with the accompanying time and expense involved in assembling and tightening the same, is necessary. r

In addition, we have provided/aA terminal assembly wherein the conductor may be readily released without the necessity of unthreading a screw or loosening a terminal nut, and wherein'v connection to the terminal assembly may be made merely by inserting the conductor through the collar 28 and then passing it into the interior of the housing I2. No adjustments are necessary after the terminal has once been mounted in position, and the terminal may be employed for various sizes of conductors..

In addition, we have provided a terminal as'- sembly wherein the means for securing the assembly to a supporting member may also be employed as a contact surface for a switch terminal or the like.

. Having described our invention in accordance with the patent statutes, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A terminal assembly comprising a frustoconical housing member open at both ends and having a plurality of jaw members therein, means defining a common central passageway between vsaid jaw members for receiving a conductor, a supporting member, means extending through said supporting member and having an enlarged head portion secured in the base of said housing member and closing the adjacent end of said member, said means serving to clamp the peripheral edge of said housing member between said supporting member and said enlarged head portion, spring means biased between said enlarged head portion and said jaw memberfor urging said jaws toward the small end of said housing member, and means for moving said jaw members inwardly against said spring means to release said conductor.

2. A terminal assembly comprising a housing having a frusto-conical end portion and an enlarged annular groove in the opposite end portion, jaw members mounted for axial movement in said end portion and deiining a common central passageway therebetween, means secured in the groove in the opposite end of said housing and `projecting therefrom, said means having an enlarged head portion rigidly securedin said housing, spring means in said housing biased between said head portion and said jaws for nor mally urging said jaw members outwardly of said housing, a collar member having axial movement in the small endV of said housing and adapted, upon inward movement, to move said jaw members against said spring means, and a supporting member, said projecting means being clamped over one side of said supporting member to hold the peripheral edge of said housing dening said groove in fixed abutting engagement on the opposite side thereof.

3. A terminal assembly comprising a substantially tubular housing having an extending intermediate cylindrical portion, and an enlarged cylindrical portion at the opposite end thereof, an internal annular shoulder between said cylindrical portions, an annular plate member in said enlarged cylindrical portion abutting against said shoulder, means comprising a plurality of jaw members having a frusto-conical surface andv having cooperating arcuate cut-away surfaces deflning a central wire-receiving passage- `fru'sto-conicalportion at one end thereof, an

way, spring means biased between said plate member and'said jaw members for wedging said members in said frusto-conical portion of said housing, means carried by and extending axially outwardly of said housing for guiding a wire into said passageway and movable inwardly of said-housing to force said jaw members out of gripping engagement with said wire, and means carried by the enlarged cylindrical portion of said housing andA securing said plate in fixed Y engagement with said shoulder for mounting said assembly upon a supporting member, the end of said housing adjacent said venlarged cylindrical portion being clamped between said mounting means and said supporting member.

surfaces engaging the interior surface ci' said truste-conical portion, a spring within said hous- 'ing biased at Voneend against the enlarged ends.

of said jaws, a rivet having itsY head portion disposed within said cylindrical portion of said housing, the peripheral edge of said cylindrical portion being bent over inwardlyv about said 4 l rivet head, the other nd of said spring being biased against movement'outwardly of said housing by said head portion, a collar having axial movement in the small end of said housing and .movable inwardly thereof to move said jaws towardV the opposite end of said collar, and a supporting member, said rivet having its shank portion extending through said member and. clamped over the opposite surface thereof to support said assembly in iixed position on said member, said bent over edge of said housing being clamped between said head portion of said rivet and said supporting member.

5. A terminal assembly comprising a sleeve member having an inwardly tapered frustaconical portion at one end thereof and an en-vv larged cylindrical portion provided with an inturned peripheral ange, at the opposite end thereof, wire gripping means within said member for receiving a wire inserted axially through said one end, a rivet member having an enlarged head portion locked in said cylindrical portion of said sleeve member and having a. projecting shank, and a supporting member, said shank passing through and being secured over one side of said supporting member to clamp the ange of said sleeve member between the opposite side of said supprting member and said head portion of said rivet.

HAROLD CA'I'RON.

RALPH L. DASHNER..

MARION W. MORRIS. 

